Multidual Sensitivity Method in Ray-Tracing Transport Simulations

Abstract

The multidual differentiation method has been implemented in a ray-tracing transport simulation for the purpose of calculating arbitrary-order sensitivities of the uncollided particle leakage. This method extends dual number differentiation by perturbing variables along multiple nonreal axes to calculate arbitrary-order derivatives. Numerical results of first-through third-order multidual sensitivities of the uncollided particle leakage with respect to isotope densities, microscopic cross sections, source emission rates, and material interface locations (including the outer boundary) are shown for a two-region sphere. The relative error of first and second partial derivatives with respect to isotopic parameters and first partial derivatives of the leakage with respect to interface locations are within 9.8E−10% of existing adjoint-based sensitivities. Higher-order multidual-based derivatives that are not available with the adjoint method are in excellent agreement with central difference approximations.